Cap. 289 Art. 3Deposits to meet claims pending before the Commission.

(1) As soon as practicable after the coming into force of this Act, the Secretary shall, in his capacity as Secretary, lodge in the First Hall of the Civil Court such sums of money as according to the records and past experience of the Commission will be sufficient to meet each of the several claims pending before the Commission immediately before the date of the coming into force of this Act and which were not, on that date, barred by prescription.

(2) Such lodgement shall be made by separate schedules of deposit for each of the claims aforesaid; and with respect to such schedules the following provisions of this subarticle shall, notwithstanding any other law, have effect:

(a) where the original claimant, or any of the original claimants, is dead or has assigned or otherwise disposed of his rights under the Ordinance, or where for any other reason the Secretary deems it expedient so to act, any lodgement made under this subarticle may be made in favour of any one or more of the heirs or successors of the original claimant, or other person claiming under him, in representation of all persons having an interest in the moneys so lodged;

(b) the omission from the schedule of deposit of any one or more persons having an interest in any part of the moneys lodged under this article shall not invalidate or otherwise affect the operation of any such lodgement;

* See Government Notice No. 602 of the 31st of October, 1980. †The appointed day is the 15th of June, 1981. See Legal Notice 57 of 1981. of deposit and who are ordinarily resident in Malta on the day the schedule is filed in court; and if within three months from such day the schedule cannot be served on any of the persons aforesaid, either by reason of absence or for any other reason, such person shall, for the purposes of this article, be treated as if he were not ordinarily resident in Malta.

(3) When all lodgements have been made, the Secretary shall deal with the books, records, papers and other documents belonging to or held by or on behalf of the Commission, in such manner as the Minister may direct.